Curse of the Dragon
by QueenCia24
Summary: After stumbling upon the forbidden Veil of the Dragons, Link is cursed to become a dragon himself in three days' time. Though both Link and Zelda are resolved to find a cure, they find that the hero's only hope may lie with an over-obsessive sorceress and a stubborn dragon knight.
1. Chapter 1

**AN-Hello, all! Now, while this may look like my first fic on this site, its actually not. I have another account where I post all of my regular stuff (which shall not be named, but if you can guess who I really am, then yay for you!) but I created another account specifically for this kind of short, sloppy, not really thought out stuff that I get in bursts of inspiration and decide "Hey I should really write that". So here we have an idea that I got after playing some Hyrule Warriors (and yes this is a HW fic btw) as well as reading some other stuff. It may be a little weird, but that's why I created a second account in the first place! For slightly more weird stuff such as this. And so, allow me to give you a bit more of a plot synopsis before we begin…**

 **After accidently stumbling upon the forbidden Veil of the Dragons, Link is cursed to transform into a dragon himself in three days' time. Though both Link and Zelda are resolved to lift this curse before it's too late, they find that the hero's only hope may lie with an over-obsessive sorceress and a stubborn dragon knight…**

 **Ok, so as you've likely guessed, this is going to be kinda short and simple, and as far as genres go, its gonna have adventure, some romance (zelink of course, and some one sided Cia/Link cause why not), angsts, mystery, and some other stuff. It's not particularly set during any part of HW, and its more or less just set in the world of HW in general. And while I was tempted to include characters from the other eras in here, we're really only going to feature Link, Zelda, Proxi, Impa, Lana, Cia, Volga, and Wizzro in here, with a few minor OCs. And with all that stuff out of the way, we might as well begin!**

* * *

 _Curse of the Dragon_

 _Chapter 1: Veil of the Dragons_

The mid-morning sun was bright and warm as it shined down upon the rolling crests of Hyrule Field, the lush grass blowing along with the gentle breeze. This relaxing atmosphere was abruptly disrupted however as horse hooves thundered across it at a frightening speed. The Hero of Hyrule smirked slightly to himself as he rode his steed across the field, eager to finish his usual patrol and return to the castle, or more specifically, the princess. His loyal fairy companion, Proxi, flittered alongside Link as he traversed across the field, looking for any signs of trouble as Impa had instructed him to do. But as usual, there was no danger to be found aside from the usual harmless creatures, which the hero could clearly see as he surveyed the field from the top of a large hill.

"Cia's forces have been pretty quiet lately, huh?" Proxi asked Link as he stopped Epona on top of the hill to let her rest.

"Yeah…" the hero said with a somewhat bored frown as he looked across the land once more, still seeing no monsters whatsoever. "In fact, they've almost been too quiet…"

"You're not a little bored, are you, Link?" Proxi asked with a knowing laugh as she perched herself upon his shoulder.

"I guess I am just a little bit," Link said with a casual grin, though he couldn't help but sigh. "There hasn't been any real action in weeks. I know I should be thankful for the peace, but…"

The fairy nodded in understanding as he trailed off, however, before they could converse any further, a large shadow fell over both of them, catching their attention as the blue skies were clear of any clouds. Both Link and Proxi were quick to look up just as the shadow passed over them, only to see that it was no cloud, but rather a very large dragon, and a rather familiar looking one that that.

"Link…" Proxi whispered fearfully, her tiny body shivering as they both watched the dragon fly over them toward the west, thankfully not looking down to notice them.

"I know," the hero said, his tone serious as he gripped Epona's reigns tightly. "It's Volga…"

Link kept his glare focused on the dragon knight as he continued to fly across the field, his wide wings flapping at a noticeably quickened pace. The hero wasn't sure exactly what one of Cia's generals thought his was doing by so boldly venturing into Hylian territory, but whatever Volga's purpose was, it certainly couldn't be good.

"I wonder where he's going in such a hurry…" the hero mused suspiciously, turning his horse in the direction that the dragon knight was heading. "Let's go find out."

"Are you sure about that, Link?" Proxi asked with uncertainty as she came to fly in front of her companion's face. "You know how strong Volga is. It might not be a good idea to take him on all by yourself. Maybe we should head back to the castle and get some help first."

"But if we don't hurry then we'll lose him," Link protested, already nudging Epona's sides to get her into a gallop. "Now, let's go!"

Though the fairy wanted to try to hold the hero back from such a risky plan, but she knew how stubborn he was when it came to things like this. And so she relented with a sigh as she followed him closely as he sped his horse across the field, making sure to stay a safe distance behind Volga as he continued to soar high above, though still remaining close enough so that he could still be easily followed. Even though Link knew he should have heeded Proxi's advice, he still continued his pursuit, knowing from his previous encounters and battles with Volga that he certainly couldn't be up to any good as long as he was in Cia's employ. The hero had been presented with a rare opportunity to possibly take the dragon knight down in a one-on-one battle, and he knew that if he were to come out the victor of such an arduous battle, then he would certainly be showered with praise and honor for his courageous heroism.

Eventually, Volga passed into the western mountain region, and not too much later, Link did the same, pushing Epona onward into the dry, earthen area. The hero could see that the dragon knight was flying at a slower pace as he rose higher, intentionally heading towards a specific mountain, one of the tallest ones in the area. Link raised an eyebrow in confusion as he rode towards the same direction, stopping Epona right as he made it to the foot of the mountain, and right as Volga flew into a large opening near the top.

"What's up there?" the hero asked with a disconcerted frown as he looked up the tall, hazardous mountain.

"Do you want me to go check it out?" Proxi asked, already flittering a bit above him as she hoped that he would say yes instead of going himself, lest he end up getting hurt.

"No," Link said, dismounting Epona as he headed for the thin, dangerous-looking trail that led up the mountain, one that would certainly be a long hike, but it was one he was ready to take. "I want to check this out myself…"

The fairy sighed and shook her head, wishing that for once her companion wouldn't intentionally put himself in harm's way like this. But nonetheless, she dutifully followed him as he began to scale the mountain, ever wary as he kept to the twisting trail. It was a steep, treacherous trip, but the hero was undaunted by it, as he had faced much worse than a mere climb up the side of a mountain.

Link grumbled in aggravation to himself as he finally caught sight of the opening that Volga had went into, knowing that he had spent more hours climbing up the mountain than he had wanted to. Fortunately, he had not seen the dragon knight depart from whatever cave seemed to be up there, which meant that there was still a chance he could meet him in battle, something that the hero couldn't help but be both anxious and excited about. After all, Link hadn't seen any real action in weeks; he was about due for a good fight.

The hero approached the wide entrance to the cave tentatively, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword upon hearing noises coming from within. As they grew louder and more numerous, it quickly became clear to Link that if Volga was still in there, then he certainly wasn't alone. Making sure to keep as silent as possible, the hero stealthily peeked into the cave, only to find a sight that he had never expected to see.

The large cave was filled with both men and several dragons, though it was clear from the draconian armor that all of the men wore that they most likely had the same ability to turn into dragons at will that Volga had. Most of them were casually lounging about and conversing, though several of the ones who had taken on their full dragon forms were hungrily enjoying a feast consisting of the carcasses of several animals. Whatever this place was, it was clear that it was some sort of haven for these human-dragon hybrids, and after searching the large group of them from afar, the hero could see the dragon knight himself standing near the cave's large exit clear on the other side.

"What is this place?" Link whispered to Proxi, gripping the side of the cave's entrance tightly as he remained out of sight, knowing that he would have a hard time taking on all of these dragons by himself.

"The Veil of the Dragons…" the fairy said in awe as she stared at the large collection of men and beasts. "The dwelling place of the legendary dragon-shifters… I didn't think this place actually existed, but sure enough it does… Link, we should get out of here. Dragon-shifters already hate Hylians, and they _really_ don't take very well to intruders…"

"But Proxi, Volga's right there!" the hero argued, motioning towards the dragon knight as he conversed with one of his breather. "We might not get another chance to take him down like this. And after all, the less of Cia's followers there are, the better."

"We can fight him some other time," Proxi said, not willing to back down this time, lest her companion lose his life over something so trivial. "If any of them spot us, then we'll be their next meal for sure!"

Link was about to protest her fretful complaints once more, but before he could, he happened to glance in Volga's direction once more, only to see that he had transformed into his complete dragon form once more. The hero clenched his hands into tight fists, especially when he saw the dragon knight begin to flap his wings with the intention of leaving.

"He's getting away!" Link exclaimed, drawing his sword as he rose from his kneeling position, ready to enter the cave regardless of how many dragons lied within. "We have to go after him!"

"Link, no!" Proxi shouted quietly, letting out a tight gasp as Volga flew out of the cave and out into the open skies once more. And yet, that didn't stop the hero as he set foot inside the cave, hoping to head the dragon knight off before he got too far out of reach.

However, that was his fatal mistake.

The very moment that Link entered the cave, nearly every single dragon-shifter in the entire cave grew silent, all of them quickly darting their gazes towards the entrance of the veil. Even though the hero still was relatively hard to see as they all looked towards him, they were all able to clearly sense his foreign presence in their domain thanks to his scent. Link froze up as the many sets of eyes locked onto him, the growls of the dragons already growing in anger as they saw the human who had dared to venture into their sacred home.

Despite his desire to go after Volga, the hero didn't hesitate to stumble backwards out of the cave out of sudden fear. It took a lot to make the Hero of Hyrule himself afraid, but a cave full of bloodthirsty, angry dragons all wanting to devour human flesh was enough to make anyone's heart pound, even his. At last, Link finally followed Proxi's advice as he fully turned and began to run away from the cave, hoping to get back down the mountain before it was too late. However, before he could even make it a few feet away from the mouth of the cave, something gasped onto his long blue scarf tightly, pulling him back into the cave violently.

The hero's vision blurred from the suddenness of the movement, but he felt the strong hand wrap around his neck as sharp claws dug themselves into his neck lightly as he was thrust against the side of the cave wall roughly, the impact making his head spin even more. However, when the world finally stopped spinning, Link was quick to wish that it hadn't upon seeing the entire company of dragon-shifters, save for Volga, who had just left mere moments ago, standing before him, all of them in various forms between human and dragon and all of them glaring at him hatefully. The one that had its clawed hand gripping the hero by the neck and restraining him against the wall looked like he was one of their leaders; he mostly took on his human form save for his clawed hands and his dark blue dragon-like armor and helmet, which, like the dragon knight's, shielded his eyes. He was older than most of the others, his face wrinkled and his white beard long and wizened, though his form was still just as strong and muscular than all the others as he bared his fangs at the frightened hero, who could only stare back at him with wide eyes.

"You pitiful Hylian fool!" the elder growled, his voice gruff and bitter. "What made you think you could intrude upon the Veil of the Dragons and live to tell the tale?"

"I… I wasn't-" Link stammered weakly, struggling against the firm hold the elder had around his neck as he kept the hero pinned to the wall.

" _Silence!_ " the elder hissed as he dug his claws a bit deeper into the hero's neck, drawing blood and eliciting a cry of pain from the youth. "Foolish boy. Don't you know what happens to Hylians that dare to cross our territory without our consent? Perhaps you should see what happened to the last one of your despicable kind who set foot here…" With a sickening smile, the elder forced the hero's gaze to the side, so that he could see something that genuinely made him tremble in fear for the first time in this whole encounter: a skeleton, a _human_ skeleton, lying against the side of the cave, its form broken and decayed and its skull crumbling apart. Link could feel his stomach turn with both fear and disgust as he pictured himself meeting the same fate, a very real possibility now.

"I… I'm sorry," the hero said as loudly, even though the elder was starting to choke him. "If y-you… let me g-go I… I promise I'll… l-leave and never… come b-back…"

The elder merely smirked at this and several of the other dragon-shifters let out cruel laughs. "That's what they all say, child," the elder said maliciously, running his long tongue along his fangs hungrily. "Now… prepare to die… I'm sure you'll make a delicious dinner for us all…"

Link let out a cry of pain as the elder gripped his neck even tightly, his knife-like claws bearing even deeper into his skin as the hero struggled more than ever before. Unfortunately, his sword had been pried out of his grip, meaning that he had nothing to fight back with, and as his body began to grow weaker and weaker from suffocation, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up the small struggle he was putting up now for much longer.

However, before the hero could even resign himself to certain death, a bright glow emitted from the back of his hand, something that caused all of the dragon-shifters to freeze up with fear and shock. The elder let out a gasp as his iron grip around Link's neck lessened a little, though his claws were still digging in deep. The hero opened his shut eyes tentatively to see all of the dragon-shifters staring at him, many of them even backing away a little. Confused, he looked down towards his hand as much as he could only to see the mark of the Triforce of Courage shining brilliantly upon it as it often did.

"He bares the mark of the goddesses!" one of the dragon-shifters exclaimed in disbelief.

"Who is this boy?!" another one of them whispered in terror. "Is he truly one of the chosen?"

"If we devour him, then the goddesses will certainly pour their wrath upon us all!" someone else cried fearfully.

Upon hearing this, the elder finally relinquished his grip on the hero entirely, allowing him to drop to the ground roughly. For a moment, Link simply lay limp on the ground, coughing as he tried to recover all of the air he had lost while being strangled and not even caring about how the dragon-shifters were still gossiping about him.

"Young Hylian…" the elder growled to the hero a few moments later, just as he was starting to sit up. "You are lucky that our fear of the goddesses outweighs our hunger for your kind… That mark upon your hand is the only thing that saved you."

Link let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, sending silent thanks to the goddesses above for saving his life through the Triforce of Courage yet again. If it hadn't made itself known when it did… the hero didn't even want to think about what would have happened.

"However…" the elder said with a dark glower, catching the hero's attention once more. "We will not simply let you leave without consequence. You must be punished for your impudence… If you wanted to see a dragon so badly, then you certainly shall see one…"

The elder, as well as all of the other dragon-shifters, all let out dark laughs as Link simply looked up at them in confusion, slowly rising to stand as he backed into the wall warily, wishing that he had his sword so that he could properly fight them, however, it was too far out of his reach, and he wasn't going to risk being burned alive just to get to it.

"Listen well, Hylian child…" the elder began, his tone ominous and cold as he locked his hidden gaze onto the hero before him. "Hear what you must suffer for your insolence and trespassing. A curse, I place upon you, young Hylian, to pay the ultimate price for your wrongdoing: your humanity. In three days' time, a Hylian you shall be no more. Your human form shall fade away, never to return, and in its place, you shall become like one of us: a dragon. However, you will be only a dragon, and nothing more, not Hylian, or anything else. Scales and fangs you will grow and on wings you will fly. You shall not be welcomed among anyone, neither the humans that you once dwelled among nor we dragon-shifters that you intruded upon. Behold, young Hylian, your fate: to become a monster, to live and die alone. To this curse, you shall find no relief until the day you die, and until then, you shall suffer, your mind destroyed and your heart broken. This is the price you must pay! This is the curse you will endure! Let it ring out now and forevermore! The curse of the dragon is always true!"

Link's eyes were wide as he listened to all of this, unsure of what to make of any of it. However, the elder gave him no chance to react to the curse he has just cast, for immediately after it, the dragon-shifter sucked in a large breath and, with a mighty roar, unleashed a heavy breath of dark fire upon the hero. On instinct, Link closed his eyes and shielded himself with his arms, even though he knew it would do little to protect him from the blaze. And yet, even though the burst of flame struck him, it did not burn him as it surrounded him, licking at his skin and clothes; in fact, he didn't even feel it at all. Instead, it seemed to absorb into him, disappearing as it vanished away entirely.

When the hero opened his eyes once more, not only was the black fire gone, but so too were all of the dragon-shifters. The entire cave was completely empty, as if all of its inhabitants had abandoned it. Link let out a deep breath as he took a step forward, looking himself over a bit hesitantly, only to see that nothing about him had changed at all. The hero rolled his eyes as he thought of the elder's curse, knowing that it was absolutely absurd. Certainly, if the Triforce of Courage protected him from meeting his end at the maws of the dragon-shifters, then it would protect him from some silly curse, right?

"Link!" Proxi exclaimed, zooming down to the hero from the high spot she had hidden in as he reclaimed his fallen sword. "Are you alright? I saw everything that had happened! You're so lucky they didn't eat you!"

"Yes, Proxi, I'm fine," Link said with a small grin, knowing that the fairy fretted over him far too much. "Now come on; let's finally get out of here."

"That was what I was trying to tell you earlier!" Proxi said in aggravation, following the hero as he began to leave the Veil of the Dragons. "But… aren't you worried, Link?"

"About what?"

"About that curse," the fairy said apprehensively. "If what that elder said was true, then… then you might turn into… into a dragon!"

"Come on, Proxi," the hero said dismissively. "You didn't really believe that guy, did you? He only said all that to scare me so that I wouldn't come back here, and believe me, I won't."

"But… but what if it's true, Link?!" Proxi asked, knowing that he was making light of something that could end up being quite serious. "What if you really do turn into a dragon?"

"Proxi, calm down," Link said as they began the long trek back down the mountain. "I'm not going to turn into a dragon, or anything else, ok?"

The fairy's wings dropped a bit, not really believing him even despite his optimism. And yet, she really wanted to; after all, the last thing that she wanted was to lose her companion to a curse as horrifying as the one that had been cast upon him. "Goddesses…" Proxi sighed as she followed the hero, praying that the unthinkable wouldn't happen. "I hope you're right, Link…"

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 **Ok, so here's the first chapter! These are going to be relatively short, but sweet all the same. So if you liked what you saw, be sure to follow, favorite, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Until next time (hint hint ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: To Find a Cure_

Zelda grinned confidently as she narrowly parried away one of Impa's thrusts, always enjoying her practice spars with her Sheikah guardian. Since the kingdom had been enjoying a few weeks of relative peace, the princess had more time on her hands to take part in such leisure activities, for she knew that practicing her swordplay was always important. Zelda got low as Impa swiped her naginata towards the young royal, who retaliated with an upward strike. However, the Sheikah guardian was just as skilled as the princess, and she was quick to backflip away from the attack. Upon landing, Impa placed her naginata aside and let out a deep breath, giving Zelda a pleased smile.

"Excellent work today, princess," the Sheikah guardian said with an encouraging nod as her young ward sheathed her rapier and rested from the duel.

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda said with a smile, though it quickly faded as she glanced towards the open skies above the training yard. "It's getting late… Link should be back by now. I wonder what's keeping him…"

"Maybe he found something," Lana interjected, having been observing the duel between the two female warriors from the sidelines as she poured over one of her magical books. "After all, Cia's forces haven't made a move in weeks. He might have found something out about her next move."

"I'm certain he is fine, your highness," Impa said reassuringly, placing a hand upon the princess's shoulder. "You should know better than anyone that the boy can handle himself… most of the time…"

Zelda couldn't help but giggle a bit at this, thinking of how resilient Link was, even despite the fact that he so often got himself into trouble. More than once the hero had returned from a patrol bruised and bloodied, yet with a daring smile still on his face and a courageous gleam still in his blue eyes. Zelda certainly admired him for such traits, as they were what made him so unique. In fact, it was those things about him and more that she had fallen in love with, that, and the fact that he loved her in return.

"Now, while we wait for his return, why don't we go a few more rounds?" the Sheikah guardian asked with a sly grin. "You can never get enough practice, you know."

The princess's smile widened at this, always glad to raise her adrenaline in a fight. However, right before she could draw her rapier, a voice from behind interrupted her.

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed happily as he approached the princess, feeling a sense of relief in seeing her again after thinking that he would die before he got another chance to. The entire way back to the castle, he had already heard Proxi chew him out for what had happened back at the Veil of the Dragons, but for the most part, the hero shut her out, especially as his thoughts turned to Zelda. Even if he hadn't been able to apprehend and defeat Volga, he was still satisfied in simply returning to her side where he belonged.

"Link!" Zelda beamed brightly as she spun around to face the hero, glad that he had finally made it home safely. Without a second thought, she raced towards him, enclosing him in a tight, affectionate embrace as Impa and Lana watched on with small smiles. Of course, the Sheikah guardian approved of the budding romance between the two of them, so she really had no problems with such showings of affection. The white sorceress, however, found that she had a hard time watching the couple for too longer. After all, since her and Cia were two halves of the same whole, they shared the same feelings for the hero; however, where Cia's feelings had turned into outright lust and obsession, Lana learned to suppress them and deny them for the sake of the greater good. After all, it was the black witch's burning desire and evil intent that had started the ongoing war in the first place.

"Where have you been?" Zelda asked Link as they were still holding each other in their embrace. "I was worried about you."

"I… got in a little trouble on the way home," the hero said, even though he was under-exaggerating what he had been through. "It was nothing I couldn't handle though."

"I'm sure it was," the princess said with levity in her tone as their hug broke a part a bit. However, as they stood close together and looked into each other's eyes, Zelda noticed something about Link's that made her gasp in shock and back away from him a bit.

"Zelda?" the hero asked, frowning in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"L-Link…" Zelda stammered fearfully, catching Impa and Lana's attention. "You… your eyes…"

"What?" Link asked, still not understand what she was talking about, though he was bothered by the gasps of surprise that both the Sheikah guardian and the white sorceress let out upon seeing his eyes for themselves. "What about them?"

"Goddesses…" Lana muttered her eyes wide and her jaw dropped as she stared at the hero's eyes. "Link… You need to see this…"

The hero raised an eyebrow, still confused as ever until the white sorceress conjured up a small mirror so he could see what she was talking about. And, upon seeing it for himself, he was unable to suppress a frightened gasp of his own. His eyes were no longer the bright shade of light blue as they had been before; in fact, they didn't even look like human eyes anymore. Instead, they looked more like snake eyes; his pupils were now only thin, long black slits in seas of striking cobalt where white should have been instead. They seemed to glow hauntingly in the dying daylight, looking so strange compared to the hero's regular, human features.

Link was stunned speechless upon seeing this as he continued to stare at his eyes, refusing to believe they were his own. He was only snapped out of this trance when Zelda touched his arm lightly.

"Link…" she whispered, her tone shaky and fearful. "What… Why… Why do your eyes look like that? Did something happen?"

The hero opened his mouth to answer her, finally managing to look away from his reflection, but before he could, Proxi quickly interjected. "He was cursed!" she exclaimed, beating her wings together anxiously.

"What?!" all three women exclaimed in near perfect unison, all of them giving the hero a look of concern.

"Proxi…" Link muttered in aggravation, sending his fairy companion a glare with his shining eyes.

"You were cursed?" Impa demanded, giving the hero a firm, cold look. "How did that happen?"

The hero sighed, not really wanting to tell any of them about what had happened, but knowing that he couldn't very well hide it now. "When we were out in the fields earlier, I saw Volga," he began, averting all of their gazes as he looked down so that they couldn't look into his snakelike eyes. "I wanted to defeat him once and for all, and so I followed him."

"All the way to the Veil of the Dragons!" Proxi cut in once more, ignoring the scowl Link sent her way.

"What?!" Lana exclaimed in shock. "You went to the Veil of the Dragons?! Link, Hylians aren't supposed to ever set foot in there! Anyone that does… well…"

"They're killed," Impa stated plainly, crossing her arms. "What were you thinking?! Those dragon-shifters could have eaten you in a heartbeat! Of all the foolish things you've done, Link, this is the most foolish!"

"But they didn't eat me!" the hero protested. "They couldn't. They were afraid of this," he said, holding up his hand, upon which the mark of the Triforce of Courage glittered dimly.

"So… they just let you go?" Zelda asked tentatively.

"Well, no…" Link said, not really wanting to tell them about what had really happened, as he didn't really want to believe it himself. And yet, the change in his eyes was a sure enough sign that something was happening to him, be it the curse, or something else. "They… they cursed me, just like Proxi said."

"What was the curse?" Lana asked worriedly.

"Um… In three days from now, I'm supposed to turn into…" the hero paused for along moment, taking in an anxious breath before he finally just blurted it out, not knowing how else to go about it. "A dragon."

" _What_?!" all three women exclaimed all at once again, their eyes widening in shock as they stared at him in disbelief.

"Y-you're… you're going to turn into a… a _dragon_?!" Zelda asked in complete dismay, holding onto his arms tightly.

"Not if I figure out a way to break the curse," Link said with determination, resolved to fix this before it was too late.

"But Link," Proxi said fretfully, positioning herself upon his shoulder. "You heard what that elder said. There's no way to lift it! And… if you can't lift it… then you'll be a dragon for the rest of your life!"

"Well there has to be _something_ we can do!" Zelda exclaimed, her heart already breaking as she looked into her hero's reptilian eyes. "We can't just let this happen!"

"And it won't," Link reassured her, being his strongest for her sake even though the thought of having to spend the rest of his life as a dragon did genuinely bring fear to his heart. "I promise."

"I don't know, Link…" Lana said with a sad frown. "Dragon-shifter curses are notorious for being really strong and incredibly hard to break. In fact, I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for a cure for one, especially one like this…"

"Well, we still have three days, don't we?" Impa asked, her tone as calm and even as ever. "We might as well try to find a cure. Goddesses forbid I lose one of my best soldiers."

Link returned the smile that Impa gave him, glad to have his friends on his side in this. After all, lifting a curse like this certainly wouldn't be easy, especially if his transformation from Hylian to dragon had already begun. "So… what should we try first?" he asked, ready to do anything really to fix this before things got out of hand.

"Maybe we should try to find those dragon-shifters that cursed you in the first place," Zelda suggested.

"And do what? Ask them nicely if they'll lift the curse?" Proxi asked a bit sarcastically.

"No," the princess said, rolling her eyes. "But… if the dragon-shifters truly do fear the Triforce, then certainly, if they find out that they cursed the destined Hero of Hyrule himself, then they'll certainly lift it in fear of what the goddesses might do if they don't."

"What makes you so sure that they will?" Impa asked, a hint of doubt in her tone.

"Dragon-shifters are known for being incredibly superstitious," Lana said, agreeing with Zelda's plan. "The only thing they really fear is going against the will of the goddesses. They'll do anything to please them; and I'd bet anything that they'd even lift a curse if it meant keeping their favor."

"There's only one problem," Link said with a frown. "After they cursed me, they completely abandoned the Veil of the Dragons. And I highly doubt that they'll go back there as long as someone knows where it is…"

"That would make sense…" Impa mused. "Dragon-shifters never roost in the same place twice, especially once one of their nests has been defiled by an outsider. They could be anywhere now."

"Then where do we even start looking for them?" Link asked.

"I have an idea…" Lana said, biting her lip anxiously. "But… it's sort of a stretch…"

"What is it?" Zelda asked, imploring her to go on.

"Well…" the white sorceress began tentatively. "There is one person we could ask for help… Volga…"

"Are you kidding?" Link asked with a scoff. "We can't ask him for help! Following him was what got me into this mess in the first place. And besides, he works for Cia. You know, our biggest enemy? The one who started an entire war just because she's in love with me?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Lana said, understanding his resistance to this idea. "But what other option do you really have, Link? He's the only dragon-shifter we can easily find. He might be able to lead us to the others."

"But what makes you think he'll want to help Link in the first place?" Zelda asked, knowing the bitter rivalry between the hero and the dragon knight.

"Oh believe me," Lana said with a coy smile. "I know someone who can and will make him help us…"

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	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: Frightening Changes_

Knowing that they had no time to waste, the small group decided to set out immediately for the Palace of Souls, Cia's base of operations hidden away in the Forbidden Forest. Hopefully, Volga would be there instead of wherever the other dragon-shifters had decided to take up their new refuge in, making their search go a little bit quicker. And so, as night began to fall over the land, the tiny group prepared their envoy, not taking any soldiers along with them as they would merely slow them down. After all, they only had three days to break the curse upon the hero; they couldn't afford to waste any time at all.

Zelda bit her lip anxiously as she stood beside Epona, waiting for Link to come join her, Lana, and Impa. They had all taken about an hour or so to get ready, gathering previsions and plotting out their course, but the hero had still not come out onto the field for some reason. They needed to get going soon, and him procrastinating now would only cost him later on.

Nonetheless, the princess let out a sigh of relief when she finally saw the hero emerge from the castle to meet them, his pace anxious as he held his hands behind his back for some reason. "There you are," Zelda said, giving him a somewhat aggravated sigh. "I was starting to think I'd have to go look for you. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes," Link said, taking in a diffident breath, not looking her in the eyes lest she have to look into his snakelike ones. "I'm ready. Let's go."

"Good," the princess said with a smile, reaching out to take his hand, though he did not return it as he simply frowned at looked away. Zelda gave him a look of confusion at this, knowing that Link never rejected her hand. "Link… is something wrong?"

"No," the hero shrugged as casually as he could, his anxiety growing upon seeing that Lana and Impa had noticed his apprehension. "Nothing's wrong."

"Then give me your hand," Zelda said, her tone harder than it usually was.

The hero still looked away from her as he shook his head slowly. "I… I can't…" he said, shame filling his tone.

"Why not?" the princess asked, taking a step closer to him.

Link let out a defeated sigh, knowing that he couldn't hide this secret from her forever. After all, it was only bound to get worse. "Because," he said emptily, finally allowing her to see what had once been his hands. "I don't have them anymore…"

Zelda suppressed a gasp of shock upon seeing what had happened to the hero's hands, understanding why it had taken him so long to emerge from the castle. His hands could hardly be described as such anymore; he no longer had fingers at all, but rather claws: long, sharp, black ones that looked like they could rip anything to shreds. He only had three on each hand as opposed to five, however, and they instinctually curled up close to each other, giving them a sinister look. However, this wasn't the only change; the skin of his hands and most of his lower arms had been replaced with small, iridescent dark green scales, giving them a rough, leathery feel as the princess held onto his wrist to inspect them.

"Oh… Link…" Zelda said with pity as she looked up into Link's eyes, unable to read much emotion in his slitted pupils. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault," the hero said shallowly as he pulled his arm away from her, staring at his new claws instead of her. "They really hurt as they were coming in though…" he said, cringing a bit as he remembered the agony he endured as his fingers fused together and grew sharp, protruding claws.

The princess wanted to give him further consolation, but she knew that it would mean little at a moment like this. "We should go," she said with finality, turning away from him and mounting Epona all on her own, giving Link an expectant look to join her. The hero wanted to say something to her, but he wasn't sure what he really could say and so he merely joined her, taking care not to hurt his steed with his unretractable claws as he mounted her. And, without any further deliberation, the group was off, heading towards the Palace of Souls with a hope that they could reverse this curse before it got even worse.

* * *

The path to the Palace of Souls was a long and often dangerous one, especially at night. Marauders were known to wander around the outskirts of the forest, waiting for unsuspecting travelers to prey upon. And yet, the group of four traveling that way on this particular night showed little concern for such bandits, considering the fact that all of them were formidable warriors in their own rights. However, none of them had been expecting the hero to go through another abrupt change, one that would cause him the most pain yet.

Just as the group had crossed into the threshold of the Forbidden Forest, Link suddenly let out a sharp cry of pain as he nearly fell off of Epona, though thankfully Zelda managed to loosely catch him before he could. Impa and Lana were quick to stop their own steeds as they gave the hero concerned looks, watching with worry as he placed a clawed hand over the center of the pain he was feeling: his mouth.

"Link!" Zelda shouted with concern as she placed her hands on his shoulders, watching as he shut his eyes tightly and continued to moan in pain, though he intentionally shielded his mouth from her so she couldn't see what was happening. His gums felt as though knives were being torn through them, his teeth as though there were being shattered and yet reconstructed all at one. Even his tongue ached as it seemed to both split and lengthen all at once.

However, as the princess devoted her sole attention to the agonized hero, she failed to notice the subtle movement in the nearby trees that the Sheikah guardian caught onto. Impa cast a glare towards the woods as she lifted a hand to the hilt of her giant blade, ready for anything as she sent a precautionary warning to the others.

"Ambush!" she shouted, just as the group of about ten bandits leapt out of the trees, barricading the path ahead as they brandished their weapons and eyed the group greedily.

"Good evening to you all…" the leader of the group said, running a finger along his blade as he gave them a sinister grin. "Give us all of your valuables, and we might let you pass..."

"We don't have anything that is of worth to you," Impa said firmly, casting a brief glance towards the princess, who was still worriedly tending to the hero even despite the commotion. "Now get out of our way."

"I don't think so…" the leader said as his smirk turned into a harsh glare, using a mere wave of the hand to command his companions to attack. The entirety of the group pounced upon them, though Lana and Impa were more than prepared to fight back as they engaged their attackers in battle without hesitation. Zelda watched anxiously as the white sorceress and the Sheikah guardian used their respective skills to push the bandits back, but she knew that they were still significantly outnumbered as they were.

"Link," the princess said, leaning in close towards the still listless hero, who was recovering from the worst of the pain. "I'm going to help them. Will you be alright?"

Link simply nodded in response, still not looking up, trying to cope with the change he had gone through and not quite ready to let Zelda see yet. And though the princess felt guilty about leaving him behind, she was quick to dismount Epona and draw her rapier, ready to fight in self-defense. Zelda entered the fray without flinching, engaging the nearest bandit in combat fearlessly. However, the other marauders were quick to catch onto the elegantly dressed young royal, and of course, all of them viewed her as a plentiful score.

It was for that reason that half of the bandits soon converged on the princess at once, all of the focusing their attention solely on her instead of the white sorceress or the Sheikah guardian. Though Zelda was a very skilled fighter, she quickly found herself becoming overwhelmed with the group surrounding her, all of them bearing heavier weapons than her light rapier. The princess cursed under her breath as she narrowly avoided one of their strikes, noticing that Impa and Lana were distracted with battles all their own. However, it was as Zelda tried to make an offensive all her own that she found her own blade being ripped from her grasp. She gasped in surprise as she stumbled back, right into the arms of one of the bandits, who gripped her arms behind her back tightly, his strength keeping her from struggling.

"Well, well…" the bandit cooed, holding onto the princess tightly as she tried to shrink away from her to reclaim her weapon. "Looks like we really got a catch here… Now, what's the dear little princess of Hyrule doing out in these parts so late at night?"

"That is none of your concern," Zelda said rigidly. "Now release me, or suffer the consequences!"

"Sorry, your highness," the bandit jeered callously. "But you'll fetch us a pretty rupee for sure… Besides…" he said sensually, drawing his face close to her neck so that she could feel his breath upon it and shiver in revulsion. "Why would we ever dream about letting such a pretty prize like yourself go…?"

The princess drew in a tight breath at this, immediately understanding his wicked intent as she tried to pull away from harder than before, but his grip only tightened around her arms to the point that it brought her pain. And, as she let out a sharp, strained cry, though the white sorceress and the Sheikah guardian were too enraptured in their own battles to clearly hear it, the hero certainly did as he was slumped against Epona's back. And at that moment, he forgot about everything save for Zelda's safety alone, as he always did when she was in danger

Zelda continued to struggle against the bandit, even though his grip was like iron. However, their fight was put on hold as one of the other bandits let out a pained cry as he apparently attacked from behind, falling to the ground no more than a moment later to reveal several long, deep cuts torn across his back, as well as the one who defeated him.

The princess let out a surprised gasp upon seeing Link, standing strong and unphased, though strangely without his sword, as his new draconian hands had a hard time gripping onto it. And so, instead he utilized his sharp claws as weapons instead, holding them up so all of the bandits could see the threat they posed to them as his reptilian eyes glared harshly at them, the cobalt in them glowing brightly in the dim moonlight. However, those things alone weren't the only things that made the bandits back away from him in fear. Zelda's eyes widened in shock when she saw that her hero now had fangs, long, razor-sharp ones that hung down an inch or two past his chin. He bared them and the rest of his now-deadly, knifelike teeth as he paced in front of the frightened bandits as though they were prey.

"W-what… what in blazes are you?" one of the bandits asked in a shaky tone, unsure of what to make of the terrifying being before them.

Link didn't respond properly, but instead raised his claws up higher as he let out a shrill hiss, one that rattled Zelda to her core with fear, especially when she saw his very-long, thin, now forked tongue flicker out of his mouth just like a snake's would. A few of the bandits let out a cry of disgust at this, and even the few bandits who were fighting Lana and Impa noticed this, as did the white sorceress and the Sheikah guardian themselves. However, the hero paid none of them any mind as he focused his haunting, snakelike gaze on the bandit still holding onto Zelda, his pupils as thin as needles as he angrily stalked towards him. Upon seeing this, the other bandits were shaken out of their initial fear of him as they tried to stand in his way and attack him so their leader could make off with the princess. However, Link simply hissed once more as he swung his claws out broadly, the force of his swipe knocking the weapons out of the bandit's hands cleanly. Though a few of them were smart enough to retreat right then and there, one of the bandits was a bit too slow to get away from the enraged hero, who was quickly to grip onto his shoulders tightly, ripping his claws into the marauder's skin as he pulled him to the ground. And though Link was tempted to go even further than that, he looked up just in time to see the head bandit begin to pull Zelda away, his grip on her stronger than ever. Lana and Impa were now aware of this and tried to rescue her, but the bandits who had fled from the hero had set upon them instead, viewing them as much less terrifying enemies than him. And so, without a second thought, Link sprung into action, approaching the lead bandit uninterrupted, his glare fiercer than ever as the bandit steadily backed away.

"S-stay back, you freak!" the bandit shouted nervously, clenching onto the princess's arms out of fear more than anything else.

"Let her go!" Link growled fiercely as he curled his claws in, his eyes seeming to shine even brighter than before.

"Not a chance, snake-boy," the bandit said with a glare, his former boldness returning as he used his free hand to draw his rough blade and point it at the hero. Link wasn't phased by this however as he raced forward, instinctually hissing as he lashed his claws out. His strike barely missed the bandit, who was clearly using the princess as a human shield. The hero was quick to back up a bit upon seeing this, not wanting to hurt her while trying to save her. However, even so, the bandit was too slow for Link as he quickly maneuvered around behind him, much like he would do while sword fighting, before swiping his claws out at the marauder's unprotected back. The bandit stumbled forwards and cursed in pain, his grip on Zelda loosening enough for her to elbow him sharply in the stomach and finally escape from him. The marauder let out an enraged shout as he began to peruse the princess, only to be held back by a sudden pain exploding across his shoulder. The bandit looked back to see a sight that nearly made him faint; the hero had his deadly fangs dug deeply into the bandit's shoulder, his claws still stabbed into his back as he gave the man a feral glare. The bandit screamed in agony as he panicked and lashed out, his fist narrowly managing to strike Link in the face, forcing him to withdraw his harsh grip. The hero hissed in pain as he recoiled backwards, unable to do much as the injured bandit regrouped with his companions, all of them preparing to flee in defeat.

"Let's get out of here!" one of the bandits cried as they began to run away.

"He's a monster!" another one shouted in fear. "A monster!"

Link was more than prepared to peruse all of them and make them pay for what they almost did to Zelda, but before he could, he was quickly stopped by someone gripping him tightly by the shoulder. Startled, the hero spun around with a sharp hiss, his tongue flickering out once more, though he calmed down when he saw that Impa was the one who was holding him back.

"Link!" the Sheikah guardian scolded, knowing that he had gone too far with his display of violence and aggression. "That's enough!"

The hero pulled himself out of her grip and turned away in aggravation, not even realizing that blood was still dripping from his fangs. He regretted it though, now that clarity had returned from the depths of his anger, and he knew that even if he had been able to use his sword instead of his claws and teeth, then he still wouldn't have gone as wild as he had. He wasn't sure what had come over him during that fight, but it frightened him all the same.

"Link…?" Zelda asked softly as she approached the hero, her heart still pounding with fear and adrenaline. "Are… are you alright?"

Link frowned as he looked down to his dragon-like hands, his dark claws reflecting the glow that his eyes were putting off. Already he was changing, not just externally, but internally as well. How much of himself would he truly lose before he completely turned into a dragon?

And yet, as much as that thought brought shreds of fear to the hero's heart, he didn't share that fear with the princess, least he worry her even more. "Yesss…" he said, accidentally hissing as he spoke, though he was quick to cover his mouth with embarrassment as he did so.

Zelda frowned with pity upon hearing this, knowing that certainly this slow, painful transformation couldn't be easy for him. All too quickly, she was losing the hero that she loved to the curse that had been placed upon him. And if they failed to find a cure, then she knew that she would certainly lose him forever. "Don't worry, Link…" she said, coming to stand beside him as she placed a gentle hand on the part of his arm that still had human skin, wishing that she could kiss him, even though his serpentine fangs made that impossible now. "We'll figure something out. We'll… we'll return you to normal… somehow… I promise…"

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	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: The Black Witch_

Dawn was just starting to break as the small group arrived at the Palace of Souls, marking that the hero only had two full days left until he completely transformed into a dragon. Seeing as how it was Cia's base, the Palace of Souls had a sinister aura to it, darkness filling its halls, as well as countless paintings and statues of the black witch's sole desire: Link.

Thankfully, Cia had no guards stationed near the palace at such an early hour, making their approach infinitely easier. After all, even the black witch and her minions needed rest every now and then, so certainly they were all still slumbering in the fledgling hours of the day. The palace grounds were eerily silent as the group arrived, all of them dismounting their horses as they stepped foot into the large clearing it was positioned in, its isolation helped by all of the tall trees in the area, as well as the abundant rose garden surrounding the elegant building.

However, as the small group tentatively made their way towards the palace, Zelda couldn't help but notice that Link was lagging a bit behind the rest of them, his eyes shut in pain as he had a clawed hand placed against the side of his head.

"Is something wrong, Link?" the princess asked, drawing back towards him as she spoke softly, her expression full of concern.

"No…" the hero said, his breathing a bit labored as he shook his head. "I'm fine… Its… it's just a little headache. That's all," he said reassuringly, trying his hardest to keep himself from hissing on his s's.

Zelda frowned, not truly convinced as she heard him let out a low moan of pain, both of his hands pressed to his forehead now as he stopped, prompting the princess to do the same, and not too much later, the white sorceress and the Sheikah guardian.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed with concern, suspecting that something else about him was changing, which would explain the pain he was going through.

"I… I'm fine…" Link said rather faintly, even though he was gasping for air at this point, doing everything in his power to keep himself from digging his claws into his skin as he remembered they were no longer fingers. "I…" he trailed off into a sudden cry of pain, one that made Zelda gasp in surprise, especially as the hero suddenly collapsed to his knees from the pain that was pounding through his head. The princess didn't hesitate to kneel down beside Link and place a tight arm around his shoulder, especially as his agonized cry intensified and grew louder and louder with each passing second as the hero felt as though his very skull was breaking and changing somehow.

Of course, the hero's cries of agony did not go unheard by those within the nearby Palace of Souls, or more specifically, its mistress. Though Link was in too much pain to really even care, Lana, Impa and Zelda were all startled as the large doors of the palace suddenly swung open violently, revealing a very annoyed and tired-looking black witch standing within them.

"What is all of this racket!?" Cia demanded angrily, pulling the rather revealing bed robe that she had wrapped around her curvaceous body a bit tighter. "It's ungoddessly early in the morning, and I would prefer to have my beauty sleep be uninterrupted!"

"Cia!" Lana exclaimed with a firm glare, stepping forward and diverting the black witch's attention towards the small group.

"Well look who it is…" Cia said with a displeased scowl, not noticing as Zelda stood and moved herself in front of the suffering hero so that the black witch wouldn't attack him with her overbearing affections for him. "I should have figured that _you'd_ be disturbing my peace, of all people, Lana. And look… you even brought along her _great_ royal highness…" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she sent a hateful glare towards the princess, who was her only competition for the hero's love.

"We don't have time to trade barbs with you, Cia," Zelda said coldly, more than prepared to draw her rapier if she had to.

"No, of course you don't," the black witch cooed mockingly. "In fact, you really have no purpose in being here at all aside from being thorns in my side. Unless… you happen to have my darling Link with you…" Cia's crimson lips curled into a seductive smile upon mentioning the hero, craning her neck to look past Zelda with the hopes of seeing him.

"Actually…" Lana said as amicably as she could, even despite the rift that had been torn between her and her other half. "That's why we're here… We… we've come to ask for your help."

"Oh, isn't this rich…" Cia said with a goading laugh, slowly sauntering down the steps of the palace. " _You_ all need _my_ help? How incredibly amusing it is that you all have come here groveling before me… So tell me… What makes you think I'd even _want_ to help you fools?"

"Because we're not the ones who need help," Lana said evenly, glancing back towards the princess, who was still shielding the hero from the black witch's view. "Link is."

Cia's expression grew rarely serious upon hearing this, and as Zelda reluctantly moved away from Link so that the back witch could see him, she was stunned into silence upon seeing how he had changed. The others were also taken aback at what had happened to the hero in the past several minutes alone, the next phase of his transformation was complete, something that could be clearly seen as he remained kneeling on the ground, his head bowed as he tried to recovering from the lingering pain of the shift. Two sharp, iron horns had grown out of his forehead, his golden bangs still hanging around them carelessly. They were both about two feet long, curving upward and outward to very sharp points, and though they looked to be quite heavy and restraining, Link could feel their presence as he lifted his head, feeling that they were nothing more than bulky and awkward. Of course, he couldn't really see them that well without looking at his reflection, which was why at first he wasn't really sure what had changed until he reached one of his clawed hands up to feel the shape of his new horns, even if he was no longer to actually feel their texture thanks to his scaly skin. But even so, his snakelike eyes widened as he ran his hand along the length of one of them, realizing that he was actually rather grateful that he couldn't see what he now looked like, as he certainly looked like a monster now, just as the bandits had called him earlier.

Cia's shock only lasted for a moment or two before she shook herself out of it, replacing it with a rush of other emotions, including panic, fear and most of all heartbreak for her love. "Oh Link!" she cried dramatically, already rushing towards the hero as he shakily rose to stand once more. Before Link could even gather his bearings, Cia had barreled into him, locking him into a tight, unwilling embrace, one that made Zelda's cheeks burn with red rage. She was about to rip the black witch away from her hero, but Lana quickly stopped her, reminding her of why they had come here in the first place.

"Oh, my dear, dear beloved, what's happened to you?!" Cia exclaimed, a look of horror on her face as she looked over the hero once more, who was struggling to get away from her overbearing hug. "You look absolutely beastly! No offense…"

If Link could have rolled his serpentine eyes, he would have, though he let out a sigh instead as he finally managed to push himself away from Cia. "None taken," he said deadpanned, crossing his arms as he gave the black witch a rather cold look so that she wouldn't get any ideas. "I was cursed, and-"

"Cursed!?" Cia exclaimed in appalment. "By whom? I'll make whoever did this to you pay dearly… No one makes my dear Link any less handsome than he always is!"

"Alright, that's enough, Cia," Zelda said harshly, coming to stand between the hero and the black witch as she sent Cia a brutal glare. "We didn't come over here so you could fawn over him."

"We came here because Link was cursed by dragon-shifters," Lana began to explain. "And if we don't find a way to lift the curse soon, then he'll turn into a dragon for the rest of his life."

"Oh no!" the black witch exclaimed in horror, looking to the hero with absolute dismay. "That simply won't do! After all, if you become a dragon, Link, then how will we ever spend our lives together?!"

"You do know that was never really an option at all, right, Cia?" Link asked rather sarcastically, knowing that he had made the fact that he had no interest in the black witch quite clear several times in the past.

Cia ignored his comment as she drew close to him once more, stroking the side of his face tenderly as she spoke. "Don't worry, my love…" she whispered sweetly. "I won't allow this monstrous transformation to happen. I shall do whatever I must to aid you in finding a cure… Even if it means… ugh, working with your uncouth allies..."

The hero let out a sigh of relief at this, though he knew that even though it had been fairly easy to convince Cia to help, Volga would be an entirely different story. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… thank you, Cia."

"Why, you're quite welcome, _darling_ …" the black witch purred happily as she gave the hero a long kiss on the cheek, which he quickly flinched away from as Zelda watched angrily, clenching her fists tightly all the while.

"Just so you know, we don't actually need your help in finding a cure," the princess said coldly, still sending a burning glare towards the black witch. "We already have a plan. All we need to do is find the dragon-shifters who cursed Link and convince them to lift it."

"Just so _you_ know, princess, that plan of yours is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Cia scoffed callously. "Dragon-shifters are some of the most stubborn creatures in the world. You honestly think they'll lift this curse just because you ask them to? Please. They'd laugh right in your face, then eat you whole without a second thought. In fact, I wouldn't mind you going and trying that little idea, princess, if my darling's humanity wasn't on the line."

Zelda almost drew her rapier and engaged Cia in battle right then and there after hearing this, but she managed to restrain herself, knowing that for Link's sake, they needed the black witch to comply with them. And so, to keep herself from getting any more frustrated, the princess merely crossed her arms and turned around, something that the hero noticed and frowned at, wishing that they didn't have to ask for Cia's assistance, even though it was already too late to turn back now.

"Now despite that… ill-conceived suggestion, I have a much better idea of where to start…" the black witch said, before turning back towards the Palace of Souls. "Volga!" she shouted demandingly. "Get out here! _Now!_ "

 _Sorry to leave it there, but there will be more next time! REVIEW please!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Soaring High_

No more than a mere moment or two after Cia had bellowed for him, Volga emerged from the Palace of Souls in much of the same angry, tired manner that his mistress had. His clawed fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he glared crossly at the black witch, not even noticing the others gathered around her in the midst of his frustration over being awoken from a much-needed rest. "By Din's fire, Cia, this better be important if you've taken it upon yourself to wake me up so early and not Wizzro!" the dragon knight growled hotly.

"Remember what I said!" Cia quickly admonished, holding he hands on her hips. "It's _Mistress_ Cia to you! And Wizzro is honestly the last person I need right now, what with his tendency to wreak unadulterated havoc at the worst moments possible. At least you have some restraint, Volga, if not much."

"Did someone call for me?" a cackling voice asked before the dark wizard himself appeared beside the dragon knight in a burst of darkness. Wizzro let out a sly chuckle at having overheard the entire conversation from even before Volga had showed up, and so he had figured that he might as well finally make an appearance.

"Oh, wonderful…" Volga said sardonically, crossing his arms and scowling. "The loose cannon has arrived…"

"Hey!" Wizzro griped in aggravation. "I resent that!"

"Alright, that's enough of your petty bickering, boys," Cia cut in with an annoyed groan, getting back to the matter at hand. "We have an actual problem here, in case you haven't noticed."

Wizzro merely laughed in amusement once more, already knowing full well about the hero's plight and taking spiteful amusement in it. Volga, on the other hand, was not as informed, even though by now he had seen the four nearby members of the Hylian army, and merely raised a somewhat knowing eyebrow at Link upon seeing his new draconian features. "And that problem would be…?" the dragon asked, as stoic as ever.

"It would seem as though my precious, beloved, _darling_ Link has been cursed," Cia began, her voice smooth as she sauntered over to the hero and ran her hands along his shoulders gently, giving him a coy smile all the while. Link merely rolled his eyes at how she flaunted over him like she owned him, even though he certainly didn't belong to her in any way. "By dragon-shifters. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Volga?"

The dragon knight's cold expression did not change as he merely shrugged callously. "I haven't heard anything about it," he said to Cia before turning to Link, his expression darkening a bit at the sight of his enemy. "But you certainly must have angered the elder greatly for him to invoke the curse of the dragon upon you," Volga said, completely unconcerned for what had happened to the hero or how. "Instead of futilely trying to find a cure, you should be on your knees sending praises to the goddesses that you weren't eaten whole by my brethren."

Link bared his pointed teeth and resisted the newfound primal urge to growl at the dragon knight, though nothing stopped him from glaring viciously at him with his bright cobalt eyes. Of course, the hero wasn't about to mention that the only reason why he was cursed was because he had followed Volga into the Veil of the Dragons by mistake, lest it give the dragon knight a false sense of victory over him. However, before Link could throw out a harsh retort of his own towards the dragon knight, Zelda interjected instead.

"Curse of the dragon?" the princess asked cautiously, giving Volga a hard look as she realized they now had an official name for the affliction that was all too quickly changing Link. "So you _do_ know something about it then…"

"I know enough," Volga said snidely. "But just because I know doesn't mean I'm obligated to share such information with the likes of you," he sneered with disdain for both the princess and the hero.

"Oh, I think you are," Cia said, glaring sharply at her servant. "If you know how to reverse this curse, then it's in your best interest to divulge the cure to Link, otherwise I'll make sure you endure more pain and misery than you'd know how to handle!"

"Yeah, Volga," Wizzro cut in with a joking grin as he nudged the dragon knight with his bony elbow. "I'm sure Mistress Cia doesn't want _two_ pet dragons, which means you'll be left out in the cold in favor of her beloved hero!"

Though the dark wizard burst into a round of callous laughter, the dragon knight and the hero both let simultaneous scoffs of disgust at his crude comment. After all, neither of them were too fond of the idea of being nothing more than the black witch's pets.

"Regardless…" Cia went on pointedly, thankfully ignoring Wizzro entirely. "You _will_ assist Link, Volga, and I will _not_ hear any refusals or griping about it! Understood?"

Not surprisingly, the dragon knight responded with a firm shake of his head, knowing that out of everything the black witch had commanded of him, this was by far the most ludicrous. "Absolutely not," Volga said stubbornly, glaring hotly at both Cia and Link. "Mistress Cia, you know I have done everything that you've asked of me thus far, but this is absurd! You cannot honestly expect me to willingly _help_ that… that foolish _boy_! As far as I'm concerned, he's getting exactly what he deserves!"

"You treacherous little worm!" Cia nearly screamed in rage at this sudden opposition, calling upon her scepter as her bedclothes instantly transformed into her usual revealing armor. "You dare to defy _me_?! The very one who granted you the strength you so enjoy! I'll have your head on a pike for this foolish insubordination!"

"Go ahead and threaten me all you want," the dragon knight said stoutly, still crossing his arms bitterly. "Nothing you can say or do will make me change my mind. I refuse to have a hand in helping any of my enemies." Volga paused for a long moment after saying this while the black witch glowered at him fiercely and the hero and the princess exchanged a worried glance. As much as neither Link nor Zelda wanted to admit, the dragon knight's knowledge on this subject would certainly be invaluable in finding a cure for the hero's condition, but how could they possibly obtain such information if he was unwilling to talk?

"Unless…" Volga continued after a moment or two of consideration, speaking specifically to Link this time. "You have the courage to face me in a duel. If you win, then by my honor, I will tell you more of curse that was placed upon you. However, if I win, then I will tell you nothing. Do we have a deal?"

The hero set his jaw upon hearing this challenge, knowing that he would accept it readily if it meant restoring the humanity he was all too quickly losing. "It's a deal," he said resolutely, stepping forward without any weapons at all save for his claws and fangs.

"Link, are you sure about this?" Zelda asked with concern, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You know you can't really use your sword with your… claws… You might get hurt…"

"I'll be fine, Zelda," Link said firmly, knowing that too much hung in the balance to back down now. "Besides, I've fought Volga before and won, haven't I?"

"I think you can do it, Link!" Proxi piped up encouragingly as she hovered beside the hero.

"I believe you can as well," Zelda said to Link, even though her tone was still worried for him. "But please, Link, be careful for me, alright?"

"I will," the hero said, giving her an affectionate smile as he reached to tenderly place his hand against her cheek as he often did. However, he was quick to retract it upon seeing his dark claws and green scales, not even wanting to touch something as pure and beautiful as the princess with something so hideous and reviling. Zelda frowned as Link turned away from her, praying to the goddesses that he would come out of this battle victorious so they could at last be rid of the fell curse that was poisoning their love.

At the same time, Cia was busy admonishing Volga for administering such a time-wasting challenge to the hero in the first place, enraged that he had so blatantly disregarded her orders in the first place. After all, the last thing the black witch wanted was to lose the hero she was so heavily infatuated with in such a cruel way. "This is foolishness," the black witch said crossly, not even caring that the dragon knight was largely ignoring her as the dark wizard continued to take amusement in the entire situation. "If you wish to throw your weight around in a petty skirmish such as this, then you shall do so without the blessing of my power. In fact, I'm half tempted to bestow some of my strength to Link instead, seeing as how he's far more deserving of it than you."

"Go ahead then," Volga said with little concern as he prepared his spear for battle and glared at the hero who stood apace from him, just as ready for this fight as he was. "I don't need any false power in this battle anyway. I'll take this pathetic boy down all on my own."

Neither Link nor Volga said anything else as their duel prepared to commence, both of them circling around each other widely and eyeing each other like hunter and prey. Cia, Wizzro, Zelda, Lana, and Impa all watched tensely from the sidelines, knowing that this battle could go either way and yet none of them could fairly intervene, though both the princess and the black witch wanted to on the hero's behalf. Yet all the same, Volga was the first one to strike as he thrust his cleaver forward, though Link easily maneuvered out of its path. Though the dragon knight remained as focused and silent in battle as he always was, the hero let out a sharp hiss of attack as he swing his claws out quickly, hoping to land a blow really anywhere, but only leaving a scratch on Volga's thick chest plate armor. The dragon knight was quick to retaliate by drawing in a large breath before letting a burst of fire forth. Acting on instinct, Link quickly rolled out of its hot path, and since he was already low, he decided on going for another tactic of attack. Keeping his head low, the hero charged for the dragon knight, aiming his sharp, pointed horns for his enemy as he hoped to ram into him with enough force to knock him down. However, what Link hadn't expected was for Volga to catch him by the horns before he could even strike. In a sudden panic, the hero tried to pull his horns out of the dragon knight's grip, but Volga merely grinned triumphantly as he tightened his hold, pulling on them roughly to cause Link pain, something that certainly worked. However, the hero wasn't about to give up so easily.

With an annoyed growl, Link suddenly jerked his head to the left, something Volga had not been expecting as he lost his hold on the hero's left horn. Acting quickly, Link took advantage of this as he pushed his head up enough so that he was level with the dragon knight's free arm. And, before Volga could even try to reclaim the other horn, the hero sank his long fangs into the dragon knight's forearm, breaking through his strong gauntlet and digging into his skin. Volga roared in pain and pulled his arm back, but Link didn't relinquish his iron grip as he instead found himself strangely savoring the taste of blood on his long, forked tongue. And yet, the hero let go all the same when he glanced up to see the tip of Volga's spear rushing straight for his face. Link released his fangs from the dragon knight's arm begrudgingly before he was struck, taking a broad step back as his tongue flickered out fiercely, the taste of blood still lingering in his mouth heavily.

As Volga attempted to recover from the wound the hero had inflicted upon him, Link was already planning his next strike, knowing that now he had the upper hand. However, before he could even take more than a single step forward, he was paralyzed with a sudden, immense burst of agony. The hero let out a sharp cry of pain as he collapsed to his hands and knees, his back arching from the fiery hot pain exploding across his upper back.

"Link!" both Zelda and Cia shouted in near unison, both of them forgetting about the duel and even the disdain they had for each other as they raced towards the hero they both cared for deeply. Volga, on the other hand, simply smirked as he watched Link suffer, recognizing it as part of the curse of the dragon, but making no comment on it. After all, the hero's pain would only make this battle easier for him to win.

Link dug his claws into the ground as he threw his head back, letting out another loud cry of agony as he did so. The princess and the black witch knelt down on either side of him, both of them immensely worried for his wellbeing, but neither one of them having any idea as to the drastic transformation that was about to take place. The hero felt as though his shoulder blades were crumbling, being replaced with something much larger that was crawling just under his skin, waiting to break free. And, all too soon, they did.

Zelda and Cia were quick to scramble to their feet upon seeing that two long, sharp, almost arm like appendages were growing out of the center of Link's upper back, curving upward and spreading almost five feet wide each. Unable to take the sudden weight coupled with the great pain he was feeling, the hero collapsed to the ground entirely, unable to turn and see what his body was growing, though a part of him assumed they were new limbs completely. The thick, new appendages ended in sharp, spiked dark blue tips to contrast with the rest of their deep green coloration. However, unlike the scales on Link's arms, these appendages were hard and almost bonelike, though their purpose was still unclear until something else began to grow forth from them: wings. They were composed of a dark brown thick, canvas-like material, which made them durable, but also good for flying. In fact, they somewhat took on the appearance of bat wings, complete with dark spikes on the ends of each new bone so they could be drawn in from their wide state. Lengthwise, the hero's new wings extended from the tips of the appendages that arched up as high as his horns did, down to his upper legs, and his overall wingspan was about ten feet wide. Somehow, his tunic and chainmail, though ripped from where the wings had burst out of his back, had remained intact, though it was clear that Link was surprisingly in control of how his wings moved as they trembled just like the rest of his body was from the remnant pain.

"L-Link…?" Zelda whispered as she knelt down in front of the hero, shaken up from having seen such a painful transformation. "Are… are you…" The princess trailed off when she noticed the tears of agony streaming down Link's face and head his uneven breathing, somewhat surprised that he had been reduced to tears, even though it was understandable. After all, these new wings were by far the greatest change that had occurred to him thus far, and Zelda found it hard to keep herself from staring at their sinister appearance.

"Zelda…" Link muttered weakly a moment or two later, slowly opening his snakelike eyes as he pulled himself up on all fours once more, though he still didn't look around to see his new wings. "W-what is it this time…?" he asked, referring to what about him had transformed.

The princess hesitated for a long moment, glancing up to his wings as they curled in a bit slightly, making them only somewhat smaller. "Wings…" she whispered in slight awe.

"Wings?" the hero repeated, slowly turning his head to look at his right wing as he sat up fully. The bottoms of his wings drag on the ground a bit as he did so, but Link didn't notice as he experimentally pushed his shoulder blade back, watching as his wing moved back as well. However, he quickly realized there was a much easier way to move them, as they oddly controlled much like his arms and legs did, though they were only limited to back and forth as far as their range of motion went. With Zelda's help, Link rose to his feet fully and pressed his wings against his back, making them much easier to walk with, despite the fact that their tips still rose high above his head. Of course, the hero hadn't decided if they were a help or a hindrance quite yet, but he had not time to even think much about it before Volga drew him back into battle by taunting him.

"Are you ready to keep going, boy?" the dragon knight asked impatiently. "Or would you like to grow your tail next?"

Link let out a hiss of anger upon hearing this as he took a step forward, his pain largely subsided as he prepared to fight once more. "I'm ready," he said, his wings arcing higher in suspense. "But only if you're ready to lose."

"I highly doubt that's going to happen," Volga said with a scoff as he instantaneously called upon his own wings. "But why don't we put those new wings of yours to the test, hm?" The dragon knight smirked at the hero as he took off, spiraling high into the air with a single flap of his wings. Link clenched his fists as he watched, not even thinking as his own wings unfurled as if on their own. However, the hero still hesitated all the same, casting an anxious glance back at his dark brown wings as they hung out behind him.

"What's the matter, Link?" Proxi asked, flittering a bit above the hero as she waited for him to surpass even her in altitude. "You know you can fly now, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Link said, watching with a frown as Volga flew in circles high above him. "It's just… I don't know how…"

"Oh, flying's easy!" the fairy exclaimed. "All you have to do is beat your wings together, and they'll do the rest!"

The hero let out a resolved sigh as he glanced to the princess, who nodded her silent encouragement, even though she was amazed that he even had wings now in the first place. "If you say so…" Link said to Proxi, closing his eyes as he pushed his wings together behind him and then, in a quick, forceful movement, he pushed them forward, which propelled him upwards several feet immediately. The hero gasped at the sudden feeling of weightlessness, but fortunately he had the wits about hit to keep beating his wings together steadily, allowing him to gain more altitude. Link couldn't help but smile in excitement at the sensation of flying, completely forgetting that it was part of his curse as he watched the ground grow smaller and smaller beneath him. However, the hero only had a moment to enjoy his new ability of flight as something suddenly barreled into his the tip of his left wing, causing him to spin in midair a bit, though he still maintained his height. Link glared up at Volga, who flew several feet above him, grinning triumphantly at the hero as he sped off into the skies. The battle was still clearly waging on, and even though the hero's new wings had been a drastic change, he had no intentions of losing now.

Taking in a deep breath of resolve, Link pushed his wings to send up upwards, beating them together even harder so he could gain speed. Of course, since they were so wide, it was a bit laborious to do so, but the hero had gotten used to his two new limbs by now and so it didn't really tire him out that much. After all, whenever he needed a break, he had learned to simply spread his wings out wide so he could hover across the skies in his attempt to catch up with the dragon knight. And yet Volga wasn't about to let Link follow him so easily. As soon as the hero began to gain on him, the dragon knight began to send back a barrage of flames. Link struggled to maneuver out of the path of each one, knowing that his large wingspan left him with quite a wide area to be burned. In order to avoid a particularly large one, the hero even preformed a spin in midair, however, in the process of doing so, his green cap slipped cleanly off his head and he was too slow to reclaim it as it fell to the earth. Link sighed in aggravation over losing it, but he knew he had other matters to worry about at the moment as Volga finally stopped right in front of him, holding his spear up to attack. The hero slowed his flight briefly, but as a new idea came to him, he quickly sped up, soaring upwards right before he collided with the dragon knight. Without warning, Volga suddenly felt his spear be torn from his grasp and as he glanced up, he was shocked to see that Link had stolen his weapon from above. The enraged dragon knight had no time to react as the hero rammed the sharp end of the spear into his back, specifically the area right between his wings. Volga let out a roar of pain as blood began to pour from the wound, and, no longer able to fly from the pain of attempting to beat his wings together, the dragon knight began to plummet to the ground several hundred feet below.

The dragon knight's bitter manner did not fade into fear even as he fell, but instead his fury towards the hero burned even hotter. He could hardly believe that he had been bested by that boy yet again, and yet sure enough, here he was, falling to the earth in crushing defeat. However, before Volga could completely crash to the ground, he suddenly found his descent slow drastically, though it still didn't stop altogether. Glancing behind him, the dragon knight was amazed and appalled to see that Link was holding onto him by the crests of his crippled wings, barely able to keep both of them aloft as he flapped his own wings heavily. Volga gave the hero a look of disgust and fury as he tried to struggle out of his grip, wanting to be injured or even killed in the fall rather than be saved at the hands of his enemy.

"What are you doing?!" Link exclaimed laboriously, wondering why Volga was attempting to flap his injured wings and squirm out of his grip.

"What are _you_ doing?!" the dragon knight growled bitterly, still putting up a solid resistance.

"I'm trying to save you!" the hero shouted in exasperation, his heart racing as they descended closer and closer to the ground.

"Why?!" Volga asked, glaring up at his foe with hatred

"Because I still need your help!" Link said, though he knew that if he didn't, there was a large chance he would have just let the dragon knight fall. "Remember?"

The dragon knight said nothing in response to this as he glowered at the ground, but at the very least he finally stopped resisting the hero. The two of them landed roughly before the Palace of Souls, not too far away from where they had originally taken off from. Everyone who had watched the duel from the ground quickly rushed over to the pair, curious to see what would happen in the aftermath.

Link was the first to rise to his feet, and Zelda was quick to rush to him as he concealed his wings once more. The hero was unprepared for the celebratory embrace that the princess gave him, but he enjoyed it nonetheless, even if he was hesitant to return it.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Zelda said, giving him a wide, beautiful smile that absolutely melted his heart. "You were really amazing up there… You know, even though I want the curse to be reversed as much as you do, those wings might be worth keeping around. After all, I'd love to go for a flight sometime…"

Link laughed warmly at her flirtatious manner, allowing her to freely stroke one of his wings. "And I'd love to take you," he said playfully. "It's actually a lot of fun. When you're not fighting for your life, that is."

The couple shared another laugh before Lana and Impa shared in on the hero's victory; at the same time, Cia and Wizzro stood over Volga as he remained lying on the ground in exhaustion and pain, not in any sort of mood to hear what they were going to say. The dark wizard was unsurprisingly the first to pipe up with a teasing snicker. "Aw… poor little Volga, beaten by a kid who's still in training wings!" Wizzro mocked patronizingly. "That must really be a blow to your all-important pride!"

"I say you got what you deserved," the black witch cut in harshly, crossing her arms as she glared down at the dragon knight, who returned it in full. "You shouldn't have challenged Link in the first place. You should have known that he was bound to defeat you considering how all of your previous encounters with him turned out."

"I was going easy on him," Volga snapped crossly. "If I hadn't underestimated him, then I would have plowed him into the ground in seconds."

"Regardless, there's no use in you lying there crying about it," Cia said firmly, not even bothering to help the dragon knight up as he slowly rose to stand. "After all, you still have a bargain that you have to keep up, remember?"

"I'm well aware of that," the dragon knight growled, crossing his arms as he glowered at the hero who had defeated him yet again. "And so, as much as I don't want to, it looks like I'm honor bound to help you, boy. Consider yourself lucky and nothing more."

"So how do we lift the curse?" Link asked firmly, ready to be free from this increasing affliction once and for all.

"There's only one way the curse of the dragon can be lifted," Volga began, his tone still consistently bitter and condescending. "You must go before the Great White Dragon."

"I swear to the goddesses, Volga, you better tell him the truth," Cia admonished, knowing that such a thing sounded absolutely ridiculous.

"I am telling the truth," Volga said with genuine sincerity. "The Great White Dragon is considered to be the alpha of both dragons and dragon-shifters. Legends even say that he was the first dragon the goddesses ever created and that all dragon kind descended from him. He is ancient, eternal, and incredibly powerful. Though the curse of the dragon was created to be irrevocable, the Great White Dragon is the only being in the entire world that holds the power to break it."

"And how exactly do you get him to lift the curse?" Lana asked.

"You might not," the dragon knight said with a shrug. "It all depends of whether or not you can convince him to lift it, though I've never heard of a human finding favor with the Great White Dragon before. Your chances certainly seem slim…"

"That doesn't matter," Link said resolutely, knowing that he would do anything to free himself from this brutal curse at this point. "How do we find the Great White Dragon?"

"His lair lies in the northern mountains," Volga said. "About a two day trek from here and a very difficult one for anyone who can't fly."

"Well then, by all means, let's get going!" Cia broke in, more than eager as she took Link by the arm, pulling him away from Zelda rather forcefully. "Come along, Volga. You will lead us to the Great Grey Dragon, or whatever you called it."

"What?!" the dragon knight exclaimed sourly. "Absolutely not. I already gave all of the information that was asked of me. My job is done."

"Oh really?" the black witch asked caustically. "Then might I remind you that you owe Link your life. If it wasn't for him, then you'd be nothing more than a broken pile of dragon bones lying on the ground. So I think you are going with us, whether you like it or not!"

Volga let out a frustrated growl, knowing that Cia was right, and that by his honor, he was bound to aid the hero even further, lest he always owe him for saving his life. "As you say, Mistress…" he muttered begrudgingly.

"Wonderful," Cia said with a pleased smile, gripping onto Link even tighter, despite the fact that he struggled to escape her grip as they began to head out from the Palace of Souls. "Now, we have not a moment to waste! Let's be off!"

 _There you go! A nice long chapter for you! REVIEW please!_


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